‘She’s pure class’ Eddie Izzard backed in her bid to become MP

The 60-year-old comic, who identifies as non-binary, wants to stand for Sheffield Central when current MP Paul Blomfield steps down at the next election. Eddie visited the city on Thursday to back its bid to host Eurovision 2023 and, since the trip, she has received support from communities in it.

One man posted on Facebook: “Eddie is pure class. Good luck Eddie I’m sure you’ll be elected and make Sheffield proud.”

Eddie is a long-term supporter of the Labour Party, Yorkshire Live reports. Sheffield Central, which caters for around 80,000 people, is a Labour stronghold.

Speaking on BBC Radio Sheffield, the actor and writer said: “I think it would be beautiful if it comes to Sheffield. It’s a city that’s reinvented itself and we have a great cultural heritage. It would be wonderful to have it here.

“It would be such an honour to have it. Sheffield would be the perfect city.”

Eddie studied accountancy and financial management with mathematics at the University of Sheffield in the 1980s.

The star was made an honorary Doctor of Letters by the university in July 2006 and has often spoken of her fondness for the city.

She first announced she wanted to stand as an MP in 2020 when she joined the successful South Yorkshire mayoral candidate Oliver Coppard on the campaign trail, as well as council ward hopefuls.

Eddie changed her pronouns to she/her after appearing on Sky Arts in 2020.

Speaking about the time, Eddie recently said: “Some young artists painting me, they ask me, like a coffee thing, they said, she/her or he/him? 

“I was wearing a dress and I’m based as a trans woman now, so she/her, I’ll have a latte – it was that kind of lack of stress.”